Jeld-Wen and Masonite Reach Revised $81M Door Price-Fixing Settlement

Price-fixing allegations from two class actions lawsuits against two different doormakers have reached an $81 million dollar deal. 

Both indirect and direct buyers alleged Jeld-Wen and Masonite were taking advantage of its dominance in the home improvement market to artificially inflate prices on certain doors.

The two groups of individual consumers and retail buyers specifically began taking legal action against the alleged pricing conspiracy in 2018. 

A lumber supplier became the lead plaintiff in one of the first class action lawsuits filed over the issue in November 2018. Two consumers started a class action lawsuit against Jeld-Wen and Masonite a month later.  

Both complaints alleged the two companies colluded to fix prices on its door skin products. The allegations expand across North America with consumers in Canada filing a price-fixing class action lawsuit in 2020, claiming the companies are co-conspirators in manipulating prices to profit off of consumers’ losses. 

Door skins are an inexpensive veneer used to cover doors, making it look like it’s made of solid wood. 

Plaintiffs argued Jeld-Wen and Masonite are able to manipulate prices on these door skins because they’re the only such supplier for North America. 

The revised settlement deal means both companies will be paying out $6 million more to settle the claims than initially proposed last year, a 10 percent increase. 

Under the revised terms, $61.6 million will be paid to the direct buyers, such as lumberyard companies. $19.5 million is slated to be paid out to the indirect buyers. 

The deal includes potential claimants, retail or consumer, who bought interior molded doors from Masonite or Jeld-Wen between Oct. 19, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2018. 

Have you purchased an interior door mould or door skin from either Masonite or Jeld-Wen? Do you think it was priced fairly? Let us know in the comments below. 

The direct purchasers are represented by Michael J. Boni, Joshua D. Snyder, John E. Sindoni of Boni Zack & Snyder LLC; Jeffrey Corrigan, Jeffrey L. Spector, Icee N. Etheridge of Spector Roseman & Kodroff PC; Wyatt B. Durrette Jr., Christine A. Williams, Kevin J. Funk of Durrette Arkema Gerson & Gill PC. 

The indirect purchasers are represented by Robins Kaplan LLP, Willcox & Savage PC, Gustafson Gluek PLLC and the Joseph Saveri Law Firm. 

The Jeld-Wen Masonite Door Settlement is In re: Interior Molded Doors Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:18-cv-00718, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. 

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